There are reports emanating from the ports that the Nigeria Customs Service has in addition to the Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) introduced a “4% Customs Operation Finance” according to its Section 18 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Clearing Agents Spoil for War As Customs Introduces 4% Collection on Imported Cargoes
Meanwhile, the development has incured the wrought of clearing and forwarding agents.
Some of them who spoke with DAILY TREND on Tuesday, gave conflicting reports, while some believed that the service renamed the 1% CISS to a nomenclature; Customs Operation Finance.
DAILY TREND reports that the 1% CISS is a regulatory fee charged on all imported goods into Nigeria. The fee is 1% of the FOB (Free on Board) value of the shipment.
However, former Sole Administrator of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Babatunde Mukaila claimed the customs introduced 4% Customs Operation Finance. According to him, this new introduction is different because the 1% CISS still stands.
He claimed the new 4% is being collected by customs as “Payment for doing their job. Its like they want us to start paying them for doing their jobs and for coming to office.
This is why we are spoiling for war.
“We have also been calling for a percentage of the collection in our revenue we generated but they didn’t approve, now they want us to pay them 4%” Mukaila stated
Also confirming the increment to our correspondent the Vice President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Prince Segun Oduntan complained that the management of Customs did not consult or sensitised the stakeholders before making the introduction.
According to him, the new 4% levy would further impoverish Nigerians, as the cost doing business at the ports is bound to skyrocket.
We noticed the NCS has introduced 4% and renamed it Customs Operation Finance as appeared on this assessment.
The Customs CG needs to call for an emergency meeting within 48-hours to address this development because it is already causing uproar in the freight forwarding system.
“All the freight forwarding associations would have to come together on this matter” he fumed
Also confirming the development, a freight forwarder, John Uwemediomo, said the freight forwarders would call for a total shutdown of the port system if the 4% is not rescinded.
According to him “Up till yesterday evening, we were still at the port, only to wake up this morning to see the increment in the CISS without any consultation.
“This is an additional cost to the cost of goods clearance. We cannot continue to do things with impunity in the port system. Here we are, talking about single window and from nowhere, they are bringing this in.
The whole association are coming together to fight this” he said
